Even though social gatherings have been reinstituted, businesses and consumers are still suffering from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. While small deliveries from companies such as Amazon are being delayed several days in spite of a guarantee of same-day or two-day delivery, furniture deliveries and appliance deliveries are being delayed several months.
The problem began at the peak of the pandemic when furniture and appliance factories around the world began shutting down. All the while, consumers continued to order, resulting in a heavy backlog. Next, a global supply chain breakdown occurred, with ships loaded with products and raw materials stalled in ports.
How it’s going
Now, domestic companies who import product components or raw materials are not only burdened with delays, but are also experiencing price surges. When it comes to furniture deliveries and appliance deliveries, the effects can be devastating.
In March 2022, the Industrial Product Price Index rose 4%, making it the largest monthly change on record. This surge was mainly due to the higher prices of refined petroleum products including diesel fuel and gas, driven by the oil supply uncertainty caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Raw Materials Price Index was up an even higher 11.8% in March, caused by the price increase of conventional crude oil.
In general, these price surges can be attributed to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. In terms of gas, Canadian prices were already skyrocketing before attacks on Ukraine began. The main reason being that the world economy was only just beginning to wake up after the preceding lockdowns, and gas consumption rose exponentially. During the lockdowns, many oilfields and other raw material producers were forced to shut down, and they have been slow to start back up again. The result? Extremely high prices to compensate for the new high demand.
During the pandemic when consumers were forced to stay home, more and more industries and businesses introduced online ordering and delivery. Many customers got used to avoiding in-person shopping and have converted to online shopping ever since. However, they expect products to be delivered within a week. Even big name businesses like Amazon have been unable to guarantee their infamous same-day or two-day delivery 100% of the time. Product shortages and increased demand have essentially bottlenecked the delivery industry, leading to delivery delays.
Between record high material and transportation costs, and supply chain breakdowns, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses providing furniture delivery and appliance delivery to stay on schedule. In most cases, furniture and appliance companies are working on backlogged orders from up to a year ago before they can even think about delivering current orders.
Although most businesses can’t avoid product shortages and raw material delays, they can ensure they offer the best appliance delivery service and/or furniture pickup and delivery service.
Our unlimited network of movers gives you the ability to be connected to the best delivery service for your specific business needs. With the combined proficiency of our software’s algorithms and the expertise of our operational team, we build optimal routes that ensure your deliveries run smoothly. We also offer operational and logistical support to take some of the burden so you can focus on filling your inventory, and we can worry about getting products to your customers.
If you’re interested in using MoveMate to handle your furniture deliveries, appliance deliveries, or any other large item delivery, contact our support team and we’ll be happy to discuss our services with you in more detail.
